Long before the countless government and Murim forces appeared beneath hundreds of flying banners, the people of Xining City were already bursting with excitement at the news of reinforcements.
“I never thought I’d live to see a sight like this.”
The imperial court and the Murim Alliance, united.
That alone was unprecedented in the history of the continent. And the people gathered under those banners were just as extraordinary.
“T-The Nine Sects and One Gang, and the Five Great Families, too? All of them?”
“That’s right. They’ve even rooted out every last one of those Dark Heaven bastards’ dark arts planted in the Central Plains. What is there to fear now?”
“I-I heard the Silver Flash Spear and the Taebaek Divine Elder have joined them, too.”
“Hold on. The Silver Flash Spear, sure—but wasn’t that old Taebaek Divine Elder a dark-path figure?”
“…I’m a dark-path figure, too.”
“Oh, right. I forgot. You’re with the Yangtze River Channel League.”
“Just laugh it off. Don’t ruin the mood.”
Leaders of renowned sects. Great Heroes who had roamed the realm alone. Even reclusive masters who had supposedly died long ago.
The orthodox martial artists weren’t the only ones unable to hide their excitement. Even dark-path martial artists, who reached for their weapons at the slightest provocation, felt it this time.
They had already fought alongside the legends known as the Three Saints, but wasn’t this true unity?
Even during the terrible Great Faction War, the forces of the entire Murim had never come together in one place like this.
The government troops and commoners were trembling with excitement, too, each for their own reasons.
The Son of Heaven.
A descendant of the dragon.
The father and ruler of all people, sent by Heaven to this land.
They could scarcely believe their ears when they heard that the man said to be impossible to see even if you lived in the Imperial Capital was personally leading a great army here. Before long, they learned it was true.
The Son of Heaven’s lofty authority and grace, known to them only through rumor.
And—
“It’s been a long time, Marquis of Shangshan Jin Taekyung.”
Even his connection to one particular person.
But the Son of Heaven’s next words were something no one there could have predicted.
“No, I suppose I should call you Prince Shangshan now.”
“…!”
“…!”
The sudden sense that the air around them had crackled wasn’t one person’s imagination.
Martial artists, government troops, commoners.
For a moment, they all wondered if they’d heard the same thing wrong. Then they looked at one another’s wide eyes and understood.
They hadn’t misheard. Not at all.
The Son of Heaven had just declared it.
No—proclaimed it.
He would make that young man, with not a single drop of noble dragon’s blood in his veins, a king.
A king of another surname, a title lost to history for hundreds of years, had just been created anew right here.
And amid the unprecedented scene that had frozen everyone in place, Jin Taekyung—who, for some reason, was staring into empty space—suddenly spoke.
“Wow. The EXP for that achievement is insane.”
“…?”
“…?”
What the hell was he talking about?
Having thrown everyone into confusion with words no one could understand, Jin Taekyung looked straight at the Son of Heaven and continued.
“Your Majesty.”
His expression was utterly serious.
“Since you’re handing them out anyway, could you go big and give me a few more royal titles?”
The Son of Heaven burst out laughing. The people, stunned for a moment, all had the same thought.
He really was a complete madman.
But the madman who’d just become a king wasn’t done yet.
Afterward, people had to keep asking themselves, and reminding themselves, what they knew about the man named Jin Taekyung.
What had they heard in all those rumors about him?
Before long, they were able to confirm it with their own eyes and ears.
“Is Prince Shangshan not enough? It was also the title held by my younger brother, so it carries considerable significance.”
“Oh, it’s plenty. It’s great. I was just wondering if I could get one more. Hehe.”
Jin Taekyung was wheedling another royal title out of the Emperor as if he were asking for extra broth with his noodles. Everyone held their breath.
Some even thought the Son of Heaven, known for being iron-blooded, would punish Jin Taekyung on the spot.
For a very brief moment.
“If you tell me why, I see no reason to refuse.”
Huh?
“Um. It’s a little awkward to explain in detail. I’m just giving it a try.”
Why?
“Hm. You must have your reasons. Then you may also take the title of Prince of Ye in Hebei.”
What?
“Thank you—hm.”
“What is it?”
“Nothing. I’ll pass on Prince of Ye. Ah, I guess you can’t have duplicates.”
“I don’t know what you mean, but do as you please.”
…Seriously, what was going on?
Everyone who’d watched the whole exchange was half out of their minds.
Even after the Son of Heaven had traded a few more words and laughs with Jin Taekyung and headed toward the Inner City with the Imperial Guards, the shock didn’t fade.
Instead, a different kind of shock awaited them.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
A flood of men and horses poured through the wide-open city gates beneath countless banners bearing the emblems of the great sects.
At the sight of the figures emerging with imposing auras and gleaming eyes, the people cried out in amazement. Then a familiar feeling struck them.
Along with the same shock as before.
“Benefactor Jin, do you remember me?”
“Daoist Jin. You’ve been through so much.”
“Long time no see. Are you hurt?”
Monks and Daoists from the Nine Sects and One Gang, along with renowned masters from the Five Great Families.
As if they’d planned it, they gathered around Jin Taekyung. He greeted the towering figures of the realm’s Murim as if there were nothing unusual about it.
“How could I forget Master Unnamed? But you’ve gotten even more muscular since I last saw you… Wow.”
Unnamed, the sole Disciple of Dharma King Hong Dao, and the man who had sworn not to take the seat of Abbot of Shaolin until Dark Heaven was rooted out.
“Heavenly Sword True Person, you came, too. Oh, Cheongpung? He was over there, but now he’s gone. By the way, did your Disciples come with you?”
The Heavenly Sword True Person, Sect Leader of Huashan in his own right, quite apart from being Sword Saint Mae Jonghak’s Disciple.
And—
“You haven’t changed a bit, Daoist Jin.”
“We owe you a great debt for what happened in Sichuan. If it hadn’t been for you…”
“That reminds me of what happened in Hubei.”
Other Sect Leaders, Family Heads, and heads of sects.
Even an Elder of a great sect could barely get a foot in. Anyone below that rank couldn’t get close enough to greet Jin Taekyung.
There simply wasn’t room.
Jin Taekyung stood surrounded by the leaders of the great sects—including Emei, Wudang, and the Beggars’ Sect. It was enough to make people doubt their eyes.
The arrival of the Sichuan Tang Clan’s Family Head, whose foul temper everyone knew about, and the Palace Lord of the Nanman Beast Palace, whom they’d only heard of in rumors, poured oil on the fire.
“I’ve come to pay my respects to the Tang Family’s Benefactor. Please forgive me for being unavoidably late.”
Tang Sadok, the Myriad-Poison Asura, was said to prefer a drop of poison to a word of conversation. Yet he clasped his hands in a deeply respectful salute.
“Damn it. I thought they’d come to Sichuan, too… But I was held up by those bastards. Even feeding them to that tiger wouldn’t have satisfied me. I have no excuse.”
Yayul Cheok, the burly man wrapped in tiger hide, even lowered his head and watched Jin Taekyung’s face for a reaction.
As if he were guilty of something.
“…Was he really that important?”
At the words someone muttered, those who had watched the whole scene felt a shiver they couldn’t explain.
Who were these people?
Titans who represented not just their own provinces, but the Murim of the entire realm.
Even if Jin Taekyung was the Fire King’s Disciple, the gulf between him and those people should have been vast—in age and in the forces they commanded.
But today, they finally understood.
Or rather, they saw and felt what they’d only vaguely suspected until now.
Just how great Jin Taekyung’s standing was in this world.
And at the same time, they suddenly sensed something else.
The age of the stars and kings was drawing to a close.
That young Divine Dragon, coiled among countless towering trees, was the hero who would swallow the dark clouds of Dark Heaven and soar into the boundless sky.
At last—
A new age was beckoning to the realm.
Getting away from the gathering hadn’t been easy.
Everyone who’d met me before wanted to greet me, and so did people who’d never met me.
“Great Hero Jin!”
“Oh, yes. Nice to meet you.”
“Please accept a drink from me! I’ll count it the honor of a lifetime!”
“I think I’ve heard that about fifty times already… But sure, hand it over.”
With joy overflowing everywhere, maybe it was only natural that the cups overflowed, too.
I’d clasped hands in salute hundreds of times and accepted dozens of drinks.
Xining City had long since become one enormous banquet hall. It took a long time before I could finally make my way out.
“Mother, our youngest is a kiiiing now. Sniff, sob.”
“Mother Goddess Heaven! Unbeliever Hell! The great Earth Mother Goddess will punish that fucking Lord of Heaven!”
“Long live the Emperor! I’ll cross the desert right now and smash those rebels’ heads in…!”
“…”
My head was spinning.
Jin Wikyung had dropped his stern-and-serious act and started crying as soon as he got drunk. The Earth Mother Goddess’s fanatics—by now, she was practically Nanman’s One God—were shouting their slogans.
Leaving behind the cries of Great Ming’s subjects, all fired up with loyalty, I walked off alone.
I kept going until all the noise had faded away.
Past the East Gate, as far as the river beyond the reach of Xining City’s lights, which filled every street.
And there, I came face-to-face with someone I hadn’t seen in the past three days.
No—someone I’d deliberately avoided seeking out while I sorted through the thoughts tangled in my head.
Shhk.
Wet sand gave softly beneath my slow step.
Standing beside the Bow Saint, I watched the rippling river in silence.
For a long, long time afterward.
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